Many of our rural schools are facing the reality ofclosure. In many cases this is due to adeclining populationof school-aged children in rural areas, reflecting thechanging demographicsof traditional agrarian landscapes into communities comprised of retirees or commuters. Increasingly, though, urban schools areperceived as superiorto their rural counterparts, with the result that many students now travel outside of their community to engage in education. Why is this?

In general, the purpose of schools is to provide opportunities for students to develop their skills, knowledge, and capacity for success as problem solvers and effective citizens all within a safe environment. In particular, rural schools are often understood to impart a strong sense ofvaluesand responsibility to students in these communities. This is often due tothe integral role of the school in the rural landscapeand the strong social and historical connectance, sense of place, and evidentwork ethic. In comparison, urban schools, due to their largersizeand access to resources, can often offer a wider variety of academic opportunities for students.

Given thehigher levels of unemploymentcommon torural areas across Canada, many parents are placing the greatest emphasis on academic achievement with the understanding that their child is unlikely to remain in the community in which he or she was born, choosing instead to compete professionally in the wider society.

Many authors have stressed the value ofschool-community partnerships, including such projects as: local stream restoration; heritage mapping; pre-school, ESL, and adult education programs; health education; and art, music, and writing classes for community members.Othershave emphasised the significance of developing community and a sense of place in students as prerequisites for their effective participation in the local economy. However, as we have seen, it is often the dearth of job opportunities in rural communities that compels young people to pursue employment elsewhere.

I recently attended a community meeting where a number of parents and teachers voiced their concerns that the local school would be closed by the end of the coming academic year. In order both to retain their rural school and elevate student numbers, the community representatives are seeking to develop a program of environmental education, in possible partnership with our watershed group which is active in the area. Such approaches have been very successfulelsewhere. However, it is worth noting that such programs cannot exist in isolation. If a school is to strengthen both its identity and resilience in the face of closure, it is essential that itsleadership capacitybe investigated before adopting school- and community-wide initiatives—integrated approaches—especially if the vision is one of a "lighthouse" school.

• Can we meet these needs while teaching the required academic content?

• Would the work be appreciated in the community?

• Would the work be competitive with something else in the community?

These are vital questions. A program may meet with enthusiastic support from the school's educators and administrators, but if it fails to address the wishes of the community then it cannot possibly succeed. Roger Mello adds the following:

• Community-school partnerships take a lot of collaboration. Many times they don't take a lot of money, but they do take a lot of time and effort to get organized.

• It takes all kinds of people and mindsets to make these kinds of collaborations a success. Seek them out.

• As expectations and standards are raised for students, and more students are meeting those standards, they need support to know what to do with them.

• Students need help to understand the college process and they need real-world applications for what they are learning.

• Teachers need support, too. Make sure to let teachers know they are appreciated. Improve salaries when possible (salaries are more of a dissatisfier than satisfier) and otherwise make the teaching experience as satisfying and rewarding as possible.

• This kind of work can get politically touchy. You have to be open. You have to have a lot of different kinds of people involved. And students should do data gathering and analysis, but not advocacy.